Children of the Night
by NightcatMau
Summary: In a time after the novels the world has one hope: Darquesse. But does she seek to save the world or destroy it? Reposted by reader request. Rated T because Darquesse shouldn't be allowed to warp little readers' minds. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Darquesse, Erskine, the Dead Men or Anton. This is set after the novels, Darquesse has taken over for good. The adapted "Come Little Children" lyrics are from the animated short "Children of the Night".

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Skulduggery had no idea what was going on. First he and the other Dead Men were fighting the enemy on the rolling hills near an abandoned warehouse. They were trying to rescue four children, but the enemy, using weapons he could only call futuristic, was winning. Then it happened.

A voice started singing. a truly lovely voice and every combatant, helpless to resist turned to see the source. Darquesse. She was perched atop of a stage magician's box and singing the same simple song repeatedly as her shadows spilled out around her in a mist, reaching out in a rolling carpet that soon covered the ground.

The shadows did no harm but seemed to pulse with magic. Tendrils gently undid the bonds of the children, who had seemed to sleepwalk out of the warehouse, and although Skulduggery wanted to scream for them to stop, they obeyed the enchantment of her voice.

Darquesse titled her head as the children approached and began her song again. "Come little children, I'll take thee away into a land of enchantment. Come little children, the time's come to play, here in my garden of shadows."

As she sang it seemed to Skulduggery that haunting music accompanied her voice. It was a type of magic he'd never encountered before and was helpless to fight. He watched as one by one the children entered the box, now filled with shadows and disappeared.

Then Darquesse was singing the same song to the Dead Men, luring each inside, Skulduggery last of all, and if he could have wept he would have.

* * *

Weeks had passed. Darquesse would sing to the children and once to Skulduggery's utter horror she showed them a book. The Book of Names. But it had been destroyed. Darquesse saw him and the other Dead Men watching her in anger and kissed each child on the forehead, holding up a finger to her lips as if they'd learned a big secret.

The children ran off to laugh and play on the sunlit beach, and somehow, seeing Darquesse on this pristine island only made the abomination she was worse. She smiled and rose to meet the men. "Skulduggery." She said politely.

He ground his teeth in anger. "I want Valkyrie back, now!" He demanded, not caring that Darquesse could kill him without even trying. She laughed.

"I'm sure you do, but those bad guys I saved you from? Worshipers of the Faceless Ones from the future. These children? They are the only ones who can stop the future they come from. A world where the Faceless Ones stalk the land."

"I don't believe you! What if we tell you we want to go home and take the children with us?" Erskine spat out.

"I'd let you go. You see, I can't help but be what I am. But know this: if you leave now, instead of staying and learning your True Names and then training these children the world you love so much will be gone, dead. In a century or so at most."

"I thought your magic could do _everything_." Skulduggery sneered. "The great and powerful Darquesse needs the Dead Men, does she?" Skulduggery asked with a bitter laugh.

Her face became gentle for a moment. "Yes, I do. I don't want this world to end, humans amuse me. _You _amuse me. But if you want to go? Go. I will see this world end and the fault will be all yours." Darquesse shrugged, a wicked smile on her face and turned away.

Anton called after her. "Either way we loose, don't we? We either don't trust you and possibly end the world, or we help you and possibly end the world." Darquesse turned with a massive grin the Book of Names in hand.

"You're catching on. Now you know what it feels like to have the potential for infinite destruction. Maybe I want a chance to redeem myself, you never know. Now _read_." She held out the book and although the Dead Men wanted to weep at the thought of trusting Darquesse, they read.

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**Wheeee! Darquesse is my fave bad girl of all time so I had to give her a one-shot.**


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie, or Darquesse.

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Months had passed. Darquesse spent less and less time with the children and she left the Dead Men completely alone. Skulduggery had expected torments, taunting, but the worst she had done was to slam the book shut before he too could read and let it dissolve back down into the ashes she'd gather it from with a wink.

Now she stayed away from them all on a mountaintop on the large island, living in a cave like the animal she was. Skulduggery didn't pity her, he secretly hoped she'd die up there. But then the children, although provided with whatever food and drink they could ever wish for through the island's magic stated to miss her and Skulduggery was elected to be the one to go fetch her. Lucky him.

He landed at the mouth of the cave and gasped in shock. It looked. _Nice._ All the comforts of home for the lovely Darquesse. Wait, did he just think she was lovely? Surely not. She was currently stretched out on a red couch watching TV. Skulduggery longed to know how it ran without power, but wasn't going to admit it.

Darquesse looked at him, gave him an off-handed wave. "Something wrong with the magic on the island?" She asked.

"Well, no. But the children miss you." He said, hating to admit it.

"They'll get over it, it's part of their process, it is what made me so strong." She said, smiling at him and Skulduggery wasn't sure if she meant to be cruel or kind. From the taunting sound in her voice he guessed cruel.

"Fine. What happened to you that made you so strong?" He asked begrudgingly shoving his hands in his pockets.

Darquesse smiled wickedly. "Oh, not to me. To Valkyrie. You see the poor sensitive thing had her spirit broken. Her very best friend compared her to Hitler once. She died inside, her heart split in two. Do you know why? Because she _believed_ him. I didn't even ask to be here this time. She gave up and forced me to take over. Thanks for that."

Skulduggery was horrified. "No, you're lying! She fought back that day, she's always fought back. Valkyrie wouldn't just abandon me."

Darquesse scoffed. "Why not? You abandoned her, didn't you? How many times did she face death, only to have to rely on me or someone else to come save her? You've proved rather useless all in all. Well done, that."

"I hate you!" Skulduggery spat out.

"Good, because you hated her, or at least she thought you did. Oh, you might have _acted _like her friend, but deep down, where it counts You hated her. Because if I recall correctly, she is me and I am her." She smiled, almost sadly. "You just couldn't accept that, could you? That she had so much unlimited power. You assumed she'd go evil, so she did, just to please you. That's right, I'm the end result of her wanting to please you. I'm what she became, just to make you happy. Now I suggest you get back down the mountain before I forget that you amuse me."

And with that she hit him with a wall of shadows, flinging him out and away from the cave, and it was a near thing for his flying skills to save him. _She has to be lying, she has to!_ He told himself. After all, he'd been very much in love with Valkyrie, but oh so much more in love with the beautiful and dangerous Darquesse for the longest time.

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**Wow, Skulduggery has a weakness! Darquesse! I like the part where she kicks him out myself, go Darquesse!**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I don't own Darquesse, Lord Vile, Skulduggery, the Dead Men or Mevolent.

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Skulduggery cursed himself for a fool, about the only good his visit had done was that Darquesse visited the children more often. But only at night when she'd sing to them, calling them out onto the beach.

It made him shiver to see those innocent lives in her evil hands, but what could he possibly do? He didn't buy the guilt trip she'd fed him for a minute. Lord Vile, after all had had an excuse for his rage, he always would. But Darquesse was pure hate and evil.

He turned away from the window with a sigh. He missed Valkyrie. But what Darquesse had suggested, that she _was_ Valkyrie, that she was what Valkyrie had done to herself to please him surprised him.

He heard a squeal and turned back, but Darquesse had only picked a child up gently with her shadows as she sang, holding him aloft, and he laughed as she rocked him to and fro. Then the child was set down and they scampered off, back to their bungalow and warm beds.

Skulduggery had had enough. He marched outside to confront her, all the more angry when Darquesse seemed amused at his anger. "When? When are you going to show your true colours, Darquesse? When will I be hearing terrified screams? When?"

Her smile faded and she looked at him, through him. "Everything always has to be about the great Skeleton Detective, doesn't it?" She hissed. "This is about self preservation, mine. You on the other hand are nothing but my glorified lackey, but you have a lot of practice doing that. After all, Lord Vile bowed to Mevolent all the time, didn't he?" She said maliciously and he was on her with a roar.

Darquesse just laughed, grabbing him with her shadows, binding him and racing upwards into the starry night sky. "You know something, detective? I've got your cuffs." She purred, her shadows dangling them before his hollow eye sockets. "Wonder what would happen if I were to cuff you and let you fall." She said coyly and he felt the cuffs being slipped on.

Darquesse smiled at him for a second, the merest second and retracted her shadows and he was plummeting headfirst toward the ground, unable to fly. He closed what passed for his eyes, but then felt himself flying. It wasn't possible.

But it was. Darquesse had swooped down and captured him easily in her arms. She smirked at his shocked expression. "I told you, you amuse me." She said, then his cuffs were unbound and returned to him and she gently set him down on the beach unharmed.

"Why do you delight in tormenting me? What are your real plans?" Skulduggery demanded.

"I told you, you _amuse_ me. The children, I told you about them. You'll need them for the battle. If there is one. The moment the men you fought arrived from the future I could see all the possible futures at once, well perhaps not all, but a lot of them, and not too many looked good. I'll be dead at any rate, so there is that." She shrugged and turned away.

"What do you mean dead?" Skulduggery demanded and she turned back with a long-suffering sigh.

"Valkyrie would never tell you this, but your a rather stupid man. Even I can die. You think this island made itself or that the magic was just here? You think it is any coincidence that they Dead Men found a cradle of magic suited to their True Names here? I did all that, and more, a lot more. You're outside of time and space right now in a way not even I understand, but yes, this place is real and the only safe place to hide you and the children. But all that effort cost me."

"Then how is it self preservation?" Skulduggery asked.

"Because in a way, I'll win. I blame the Faceless Ones for this. Seeing them die, from wherever I am and thus preserving the planet that it is my right alone to destroy is enough for me. Now run along like a good little skeleton and tattle on the naughty Darquesse to all the Dead Men." She said, laughing.

"I hate you!" Skulduggery spat at her.

"No you don't." Darquesse said, and suddenly she had him in her arms and was pressing him flush against her, her shadows caressing his skeletal frame. Darquesse leaned her lovely face in, and Skulduggery expected to feel her full and rather inviting lips on his teeth. Then she was laughing and soaring off into the night sky leaving Skulduggery frustrated and alone.

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**Aww, did da widdle skeleton get teased by the big, bad Darquesse? Aww.**


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Darquesse, Valkyrie, Ghastly or Erskine. WARNING: This chapter gets sad, really, really sad.

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Skulduggery Pleasant stood still in shock. After Darquesse had soared up into the night he'd seen her suddenly drop from the night sky to crash into the trees of the pristine tropical forest below her with enough noise to bring the Dead Men running. It was a trick of course, with Darquesse it always was.

But they walked into the forest anyhow and found her limp and seemingly lifeless on the forest floor. Ghastly checked for a pulse, for broken bones, then picked her up. He'd become a skilled healer after reading his true name, and he seemed to want to heal Darquesse of all people. Skulduggery stepped in his way, gun drawn.

"Leave her here to die, let the animals take her." He growled, cocking back the hammer and Ghastly just stared at him in disbelief.

"No." He said flatly. "Other than bringing us here against our will in an act that saved us, she's done us no real harm. She wouldn't be giving you free flying lessons if you weren't constantly taunting her. Let it go, Skulduggery. Whatever this hatred is you have for her, let it go."

With that he carried Darquesse away, not seeming to care if Skulduggery shot him in the back or not. Skulduggery looked to the other Dead Men for support. "We kill her now, our troubles are over. None of you actually believe any of the things she's told us do you? Erskine? I know you hate her."

Erskine shrugged. "Yes, I do. And chances are if she does recover she will be stronger than ever. But Darquesse had never once shown another being kindness, yet for the children she's done everything."

"She did it for revenge! She told me as much!" Skulduggery argued. But Erskine simply shrugged again and he and the other Dead Men walked away, following Ghastly back to the bungalows the men shared.

The truth was there were no wild animals on that island except nice ones, no poisonous plants or insects. Everything was perfect and that was another reason Skulduggery hated Darquesse. It was the kind of island Valkyrie would have made to retreat to, not something the heartless Darquesse would even understand.

He was awaiting proof of her true dark nature. The day when earthquakes and lava flows would strike. Or perhaps if she lived she would freeze them all to death or split the island in two and watch it sink to the bottom of the sea.

Of course when she was so weak he could kill her. Hadn't she said once destroying her brain would work? What was it Valkyrie had said? Seven seconds. If he could separate body and brain for seven seconds he'd be rid of Darquesse once and for all.

* * *

He never got the chance. The Dead Men, hating her or not, kept vigil. Darquesse was laid out on a long low table, unresponsive and Ghastly could do nothing for her. Every hour her skin grew more pale and her breathing slowed.

She was dying, not fighting back and Skulduggery felt the walls he'd built out of hate tumbling down. He was loosing her forever, his beautiful Darquesse, his beloved Valkyrie and there was nothing he could do but watch.

He sat down beside her stroking her hair back from her face and gasped at how icy cold she'd become. Darquesse didn't respond to his touch. This wasn't a trap, it wasn't a trick. He'd ruined a beautiful young girl with his thoughtless words and took out the hatred of his own crimes on her.

He turned at a sudden gasp from Darquesse, hoping for a miracle. But she exhaled the breath and didn't breathe again. Skulduggery just stared, waiting for her to get up, to be well again like she always did. This was Darquesse. She never died, she couldn't die and leave him all alone.

But she had. The Dead Men saw to it that she was put in her cave and the entrance sealed off. Skulduggery didn't attend, he couldn't. The idea of Darquesse ever dying, of ever being vulnerable still didn't seem real. She was supposed to end the world, not die in some futile attempt to save it.

He wondered as he waited for the men to return who they had buried. Darquesse or Valkyrie? And he thought he knew. Darquesse was right all along. She _was _Valkyrie his, Valkyrie. Forever gone, forever beyond his reach. And although being a skeleton he could not cry, he did, in his own way, weep.

Skulduggery shook with silent sobs that produced no tears and wanted more than anything to see his beloved Darquesse one more time.

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**Told you it was sad.**


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I don't own Skulduggery or Darquesse. What? You didn't think it was over quite yet, did you?

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There was a terrible storm on the island that night, for the first time ever, but only over the mountain cave where the body of Darquesse lay. Lightning raced across the sky and thunder boomed like cannons.

The Dead Men had gathered all all the children together and they watched on a screen of sorts that just appeared because they all wanted it to. It didn't make much sense to the adults, but to the children it did. Because why shouldn't their mother, as they thought of Darquesse make their island home as wonderful as possible?

Skulduggery had thought it cruel that Darquesse had taken their memories of any other life than the island, but he could see that she had, in her own way meant well. None of the children were wailing to go back home, they were home, in a place they trusted to never hurt them. The children watched the storm on the screen in utter fascination. To them it was one more thing mommy had done for them.

Skulduggery gasped in horror as a tremendous bolt of lightning struck the sealed cave entrance and continued in, blasting debris out of the way, the whole cave becoming a blaze of light for a few seconds. Then the storm was over, just like that.

What no one knew of course, not even Darquesse, is that it was very, very hard for her to die and stay dead. True, all life seemed to be gone, and for the first time she'd stayed seemingly lifeless for hours, but even as she lay unaware her magic was racing to save her to hold on to the tiniest spark of life, because that is what her magic did. It protected her, enabled her to jump start herself back from death repeatedly, even saved her when she couldn't save herself.

So it had called the storm on, drew down the power, and now Darquesse woke with a gasp as lightning coursed through her body. She lay still, breathing hard for a few seconds, then let her power explode all around her, destroying the cave, but it didn't matter.

She was free and more powerful than ever before. She soared into the night sky, laughing and all the Dead Men and children watched the screen in silent fascination. Then Darquesse seemed to be aware she had viewers. She looked straight at them and smiled wickedly.

She seemed to come closer to fill the screen, then she was stepping out of the screen and the children were massing around her. Darquesse greeted them, smiling. It wasn't the warm smile and soft laugh Valkyrie would have given them. But it wasn't as frightening to Skulduggery now. He realized Darquesse was sure in her own power and he admired her for it now.

After shooing the children to bed she stepped outside with him. She gave him a delighted grin. "Miss me?" She asked, her shadows playfully plucking at his hat. Skulduggery nodded, unable to speak.

"Now as I recall, I was kissing you, wasn't I?" She asked, and again he nodded. "Good." She said, and then her shadows were drawing him to her and she was kissing him deeply with her arms wrapped around his neck as her shadows gently caressed him.

Skulduggery gave into the kiss, wrapping his arms around her, closing what passed for his eyes. She was heavenly, his dark angel, his Darquesse. He pulled back slightly to look at her. She had to be about his equal in height, but somehow it was alluring to him.

Darquesse smiled at him, almost gently. "This is all I ever wanted from you. Why do you think I'm saving the world? Yes revenge, because revenge is fun, but because you like the world and that's excuse enough for me. I may never be a good person, but I'll be good to you."

Skulduggery of course, was utterly charmed and felt for once that her reasoning was just fine with him.

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**Yes, the evil writer planned this chapter all along. I mean, seriously? Darquesse staying dead? So not going to happen.**


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